Catch-a-Carp
Researchers at the University of Waikato have teamed up with the Waikato Regional Council in developing an app that captures when and where carp are spotted in larger numbers.
Catch a Carp, a free and easy to use app, helps capture important information on carp so better maintenance can be put in place. The project, which started as a Summer Research Scholarship with a current University student, grew into a now developed app that anyone can use.
The purpose of the app is to provide accurate and timely data from citizen scientists to allow for the optimal deployment of strategic resources. This will mean more koi carp can be removed from our waterways. With each fish capable of producing 300,000-400,000 eggs per spawning and multiple spawning per year this species needs to be carefully managed to minimise the damage that they cause to the environment and to prevent their spread. With the help of waterway users; areas of high congestion can be targeted, spread can be measured, providing opportunities of dense aggregations of fish to be contained.
Catch a Carp app
Catch a Carp can be downloaded for free from Google play store or the App Store.
Once you download it, you simply:
- Tap on the ‘Report Koi Carp’ button
- Take a photo of the Koi carp
- Tap where you saw the carp (an interactive
Google map will show up on the app) - Tap on one of the carp information buttons (i.e.
how many you saw, what they were doing)
The information taken from these Koi Carp sightings assist government organisations, like the Waikato Regional Council, to better plan for carp control and identify if the species’ range is expanding.
Version 1.0 (launched Fieldays 2016)
